Tuesday Update

Rowing
I went rowing at 5:30 a.m., which meant I left my house at about 5:10. This is earlier than I have to leave, but I really really hate being late to things, and they really discourage late...
There were 2 other people signed up for the practice.  When I got there I found out I was assigned to a big, stable recreational single shell, and that the other woman was assigned to the single I like (this boat is Grace O'Malley, who I rowed during my private lesson, also a rec single, but slightly more streamlined, and lighter than the other boat, Bob). R.C. asked me if I wanted a challenge to take out racing single. And I said that Grace O'Malley was probably still a challenge for me, but that if she thought I could I'd try it.  I pointed out that if I was going to take a racing single out this year, I probably needed to try in the next few weeks.  It is pretty much guaranteed that you'll flip a racing single when you are new, and the river water will get too cold in the upcoming months.  The possibility of flipping in cold water is obviously present in any of the boats, but it is just stupid to take a boat out if it is guaranteed...
So R.C. tried to convince the other woman to take the racing single, so I could have Grace O'Malley, but she wasn't interested, and then somehow, rather than taking Bob, she put us out in the double.  This was actually quite perfect.  It was the same double I rowed last week, though with a new partner.  This woman wasn't quite as strong as Barbara, but we got along very well, so we were actually pretty evenly matched.  This meant that we kind of took an equal row in decision making, and I was more responsible for steering (as bow seat is) than I was with Michelle, who was very experienced.  Barbara mentioned to me that it was over 6 months before she rowed 2 at a time when she was new, she expected we would row one at a time while the other balanced the boat.  We had no balance problems at all except the minor checks when one of us missed our catch (oar didn't go in the water) or sunk the oar too deep.  It was fabulous.
The best part of the row was that the sunrise occurred during it.  It was dark when we set out, and then suddenly, the sky was beautiful and it was bright. Really quite lovely.  Technique-wise, my grip was picked on (I don't like where the thumbs go!), I am still rushing my slide (I think I literally have to just stop and wait for a count at the end of the slide before putting the oar in the water. I can't slide for that long, the legs just aren't long enough) and we worked some on the flexing of the wrists when feathering.  It was a good session.  I was able to take a shower and get to work before 7:30, so I don't need to change my hours for that.

Skating
Uh, I skipped skating...  Not because of rowing though, I have a good excuse.  I had a biopsy on a mole (no worries, I'm sure it is nothing) and it felt like my ear was on fire and someone was stabbing me, so I chose to go to bed around 5:30 rather than skate.   However, I find myself less excited about skating more often now.  It isn't because I've hit a plateau, in fact, between dance and new spins, I'm making progress.  I think it is just that I've run out of goals.  Competitions are SO expensive.  I really want to go to Adult Nationals, but when I look at it logically, I'm not sure it really is a good idea.  We could go on a real vacation for that much, even if I have family/friends I can stay with.  Local competitions are basically like throwing money away, as they aren't actually competitions, just insanely expensive exhibitions.  I still have dance tests to work towards, but the next test session I know about is in March.  So why bother now?  (There is one in Ames in November, but it is the day after I get back from a vacation, I'd have to take off work, and I'd have to get a hotel, and drive all the way across state)  Plus, now that I have another activity I really enjoy, I'm just looking at all the money I spend skating and wondering why...  If it didn't cost a small fortune (and it really does), I'd feel better.  I feel selfish spending all that, especially now that we bought a new house and are trying to save.